TY - JOUR
T1 - Features of successful sexual health promotion programs for young people
T2 - Findings from a review of systematic reviews
AU - Bowring, Anna L.
AU - Wright, Cassandra J.C.
AU - Douglass, Caitlin
AU - Gold, Judy
AU - Lim, Megan S.C.
N1 - Funding Information:
Burnet Institute was contracted by Family Planning Victoria to conduct this review, who received funding through the Victorian Department of Health and Human Services Integrated Health Promotion Program. In addition, the authors gratefully acknowledge the contribution to this work of the Victorian Operational Infrastructure Support Program received by the Burnet Institute. The authors wish to acknowledge the significant contribution of Family Planning Victoria, the Advisory Group Members and external stakeholders for their guidance and support of this project. In particular, Jenny Jones, Lorena Smirneos, Nicole Kopel and Angus McCormack assisted with the literature review and Kim Hider and Rhonda Garad provided comment on the review report.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2017 Australian Health Promotion Association
Copyright:
Copyright 2018 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved.
PY - 2018/4
Y1 - 2018/4
N2 - Issue addressed: Young people have a high burden of sexual and reproductive health (SRH) problems, and it is important to reach this group through health promotion initiatives. We conducted a systematic review of reviews to identify successful elements of health promotion programs for improving SRH of young people. Methods: We identified and collated systematic reviews published in 2005-2015 which focused on young people (10-24 years), reported on SRH outcomes (pregnancy, sexually transmissible infections, condoms/contraceptive use, risky sexual behaviour, sexual healthcare access or intimate partner violence), and included primary studies predominantly conducted in high-income countries. This report focuses on features of successful SRH programs identified in the interpretation and discussion of included systematic reviews. Results: We identified 66 systematic reviews, of which 37 reported on program features which were anecdotally or statistically associated with improved program effectiveness and success. Common features of effective interventions were: longer term or repeated implementation; multi-setting and multi-component; parental involvement; culturally/gender/age appropriate; and inclusion of skills-building. So what?: There is marked consistency of features improving SRH program effectiveness for young people despite the wide variation in interventions reviewed. There is a need to better implement this knowledge in future programs, and our findings provide useful guidance for optimising the design of SRH interventions for young people.
AB - Issue addressed: Young people have a high burden of sexual and reproductive health (SRH) problems, and it is important to reach this group through health promotion initiatives. We conducted a systematic review of reviews to identify successful elements of health promotion programs for improving SRH of young people. Methods: We identified and collated systematic reviews published in 2005-2015 which focused on young people (10-24 years), reported on SRH outcomes (pregnancy, sexually transmissible infections, condoms/contraceptive use, risky sexual behaviour, sexual healthcare access or intimate partner violence), and included primary studies predominantly conducted in high-income countries. This report focuses on features of successful SRH programs identified in the interpretation and discussion of included systematic reviews. Results: We identified 66 systematic reviews, of which 37 reported on program features which were anecdotally or statistically associated with improved program effectiveness and success. Common features of effective interventions were: longer term or repeated implementation; multi-setting and multi-component; parental involvement; culturally/gender/age appropriate; and inclusion of skills-building. So what?: There is marked consistency of features improving SRH program effectiveness for young people despite the wide variation in interventions reviewed. There is a need to better implement this knowledge in future programs, and our findings provide useful guidance for optimising the design of SRH interventions for young people.
KW - Adolescents
KW - health education
KW - health promoting schools
KW - review
KW - sexually transmitted infections
KW - systematic
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85045970602&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1002/hpja.3
DO - 10.1002/hpja.3
M3 - Review article
C2 - 29700941
AN - SCOPUS:85045970602
VL - 29
SP - 46
EP - 57
JO - Health Promotion Journal of Australia
JF - Health Promotion Journal of Australia
SN - 1036-1073
IS - 1
ER -